Jacob Zuma resigns as SA president

South African President Jacob Zuma has resigned from office. He made the announcement Wednesday night while addressing the nation, and his resignation is in effect immediately

According to local media reports in South Africa Zuma had initially refused to resign after his own party, the African National Congress. Even after announcing his resignation, he says that he disagrees with his party’s decision.

The reports added that he denounced his party’s push to remove him from office as “unfair” prior to the announcement that he has resigned.

Wednesday was the deadline for his resignation, and if he didn’t resign, his party planned to back a no-confidence motion brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters, an opposition party, on Thursday.